Five things you may not know about Total Diet Replacements
With the prevalence of obesity rising across Europe, more and more people are seeking to quickly and effectively lose weight. A quick Google search provides hundreds of ways to achieve weight loss, including through the use of pills and other popular diets. These usually promise rapid weight loss as well as other health advantages, though often lack the scientific evidence to support these claims.
Total Diet Replacements (TDRs) are specifically formulated programmes that replace the whole of the daily diet. TDRs, which include Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCDs) and Low Calorie Diets (LCDs), provide controlled energy intake and have been proven to be far more effective than cutting calories through other conventional food combinations. Here are Five things you might not know about TDRs:
They are easy to follow
There are a lot of diets on the market, but many are difficult to follow with dieters often feeling unhealthier due to the lack of intake of nutrients. The use of TDRs is accompanied by trained Consultant or Counsellor support, so people feel more motivated to continue. Meanwhile, the nutritionally balanced programme ensures they feel better quickly, which makes compliance easier.
TDRs provide users with all the nutrients they need
While some popular diets often exclude entire food groups – resulting in a lack of intake of certain nutrients –, TDRs are based around formula foods, which are nutritionally balanced. They are composed to provide 100% of the Dietary Reference Values and include key vitamins, minerals, high quality protein, essential fats, fibre and other nutrients. Indeed, it is almost impossible to maintain nutritional requirements through the consumption of ‘normal foods’ alone once daily consumption falls below 1200 kcal.
They deliver other health benefits
Recent research has shown that the use of TDRs is not only effective in delivering weight loss, but also contributes to tackling a number of obesity-related diseases. The DIRECT trial showed that after 12 months, 46% of TDR users diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes went into diabetes remission. Recognising the health benefits, NHS England recently announced that TDRs will now be made available to Type 2 Diabetes sufferers. Aside from benefits in diabetes, TDRs are also proven to reduce pain in osteoarthritis, improve the metabolic state and reduce blood pressure.
They are strictly regulated and safe to use
Popular diets are mostly based on fashion trends and are not regulated. TDRs, on the other hand, are specifically regulated under EU law. These rules set general compositional and labelling criteria to ensure that products are safe and that consumers are not misled on what results to expect from the use of TDRs.
They are more effective than most diets
Some popular diets are focused on short-term weight-loss and some dieters often experience extreme weight fluctuations, which may be bad for their health. Clinical trials have shown that TDRs result in better weight maintenance at six months to three years later, making these programmes particularly effective as well as healthier in the long-term.
Overall, TDR programmes provide consumers with a safe and effective weight loss method that is easy to follow and results in multiple health benefits in the long-term.
If you have any further questions about TDRs, please get in touch with us at secretariat@tdmr-europe.com.
